What Happened to My Steel Raised Garden beds After 12 years?
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- In this video, I show what happened to my steel-raised garden beds after 12 years of use. Also, I compare high-quality Birdies raised garden beds to other brands of steel beds to see which is better.
Go here to get Birdies Raised Garden bed in the USA: shop.epicgarde... and use SSME2020 for a 5% discount.
In Australia, go to birdiesgardenp... and use Code SSMEbird for a 5% discount. In New Zealand, go to birdiesgardenp... and use Code ssmebird22 for 5% off your first purchase.
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane - the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let's get into it! Cheers, Mark :)
#garden #gardening #raisedbeds
This is such a good experiment Mark! Love the transparency of showing after over a decade. for those who are struggling to pre-order, trust me I feel the pain! I'm getting as many of these from Birdies as I possibly can as quickly as I possibly can, but we are dealing with a crazy global shipping and logistics crisis right now that is causing delays. I will honor Mark's code for anyone who asks for it from this video, so make sure and sign up to the email list so I can notify everyone of more pre-orders! Lets... GET INTO IT!
@Kira Corydorable yes I can ship to canada! You just have to suffer through the duty fees, currency conversion and slightly increased shipping cost, but I am also working on getting birdy's directly into Canada as well! kevin@epicgardening.com
Money 🤑💰🤑 is all you see
kevin@epicgardening ....Can you turn off your popup nonsense? I got so sick of all those annoying popups and all those people shooting over from the side, and my security alerts going off each time one pops up,,, I simply closed the site to never return again since it is so poorly mismanaged with annoying nonsense.
WHAT is the point of that nonsense? WHO CARES what others are putting on there? NO RATIONAL thinking person! We go by best deals, highest quality, and quickest delivery. You should RETHINK those popup nonsensical foolery. Gardeners/farmers don't like that sort of nonsense. This kind of stuff makes me think I'd be better off using Cattle Troughs instead,, with some bracing on the sides so they don't bulge. OR simply building them out of cement blocks or hard wood framing with liners.
Hi Kevin. Trippy seeing you here 😅
@@ms.farmgirl Sorry it bothers you Suzanne, it's the only way I can get everyone on the pre-order notification list...trust me I've had more MAD comments that people didn't get on, than ones annoyed by the popup. But I feel you...they aren't the most pleasant experience!
Good show, Mark. My father said, "You can buy quality once or cheap many times."
Your father is correct. My Dad taught me the same way. I’m 61 and can still hear him saying this exact same thing and he is right. Pay the extra for good quality.
My dad’s version is “I’m too poor to buy cheap tools”
Buy once cry once. Quality is always valuable.
Good saying! So true... Thanks mate :)
As a Mom, I say the same thing.
In different words, but meaning the same thing.
"Don't work harder, Work Smarter."
G'day Everyone, Go here to get Birdies Raised Garden beds in the USA: shop.epicgardening.com/ and use SSME2020 for a 5% discount. In Australia & New Zealand go to birdiesgardenproducts.com.au/ or birdiesgardenproducts.co.nz/ and use Code SSMEbird for a 5% discount. Also, just a bit of channel news, I'm close to going LIVE for the first time soon here on this channel - I've been wanting to do this for a long time but always had "tech" issues to deal with but hopefully, we can get into it and chat in real-time, answer some questions, and have some fun. See how it goes! Cheers :)
They are literally always sold out, I’ve tried 3 or 4 times
I wonder if he ships to Canada?
Hey Mark! I have a garden and I need advice from you. Do you suggest growing banana’s in a raised garden bed? Because I don’t have any space for em’ elsewhere in the garden
@@suekuly4723 yes he does ship to Canada. But shipping to Canada was ridiculously expensive. So I am having mine shipped to Crossborderpickups in the U.S. and they bring it to Toronto for cheap. This will be the 4th time I use the service, no issues so far.
I used your code last month and preordered 30 beds. We’re excited to get them next month and set them up for the season. Kevin is a nice dude. He emailed me and thanked me and helped me with everything I needed
Why you are not sponsored by Birdies is a mystery to me. You are the sole reason I bought their product. USA
Same here, saw Mark using them, want some myself and bought them from Kevin.
Same here. Birdies, if you're watching, Sponsor this channel!!
The Amish in my community use large, square clay chimney liners for growing tomatoes. They plant the seedlings so the tops are just under the top edge of the clay liner. If we get a frost or freeze warning, they cover the tomato seedlings with a cotton sheet to protect them. Where I live, most people wait until the day after Memorial Day (May 31st) before planting. I would like to replace my brittle plastic pots for growing tomatoes with those Bridie's galvanized raised beds. I'd get more years use out of them than those plastic pots that crack and break after a couple years of use. Kind regards from the States.
Jack - I have seen people using the same kind of corrugated roofing sheets, that they bend into these same shapes and make their own versions of this. Maybe do them in double layers for extra strength.
2 farms over from ours they have a couple dozen of them. They also use cattle watering tanks for raised beds, that they cut the bottoms out of. Just put landscape mesh/fabric as a liner inside for less the cost. By using liners in them so they are extra protected and will not rot out or leech anything from the outside, or noxious weeds getting in.
THAT is what I think I will end up doing.
You can always use fencing cement blocks to build raised beds. Or CEDAR BEDS.
They are ALL HALF the price also. $400 bucks a bed is off the charts expensive.
I am going to experiment and take on the challenge of seeing which kind works better
Where do they (Amish) get them? My Queen has been looking for clay tile pipes for plantings and cannot find them anywhere...
@@ms.farmgirl for other cheap options, you also have Rammed Earth (lasts forever) and rough timber (takes less time to make)
@@craigmatheson2736 in Southern California we get them at building supply yards.
Good grief, what a difference in deterioration (or lack of) between the coated and uncoated beds! Another fab video Mark, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us 😀
What's your channel about?
Love your channel Liz I've learned so much! Funny seeing the people I watch overlapping.
👋
Thanks Liz! I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of your new book - keen to get some more tips! Cheers :)
Easily my favorite channel to watch while making coffee. Gets the morning feeling positive.
Yes, I love this one, Epic Gardening and Rogers Orchids to go with my weekend coffee!
Sundays in the Garden with Mark. ☕🥯
Oh yeah Mark is my weekend morning coffee man
Boy it sure seems worth the time, effort and money to buy the coated galvanized metal ones. Thanks for showing how yours are holding up.🌱👍
I looked into what they cost here, but for a few hundred euro for each bed it's not worth it to me honestly.
Lasts three times longer then wood they say, maybe that is true, but the wood is 1/10 of the cost or less and when they are done you can just compost them🤷
@@Witch-Crafts I don't have raised beds yet, but am very interested in them. If you wanted to invest in longer term beds, perhaps it would be worth it. However, like you, I'll probably just go with lumber as well. It is readily available and biodegradable as well. Good points!
I used douglas wood, ita pretty durable. Supposedly it lasts about 15 years outside when untreated. I've only had my raised beds for a year so I can't say how long they will last here, but so far the wood has only turned gray, and doesnt show anything else really. Just make sure you don't use wood with any kind of chemical treatment if you'd like it to be biodegradable. (And I also don't like the idea of those chemicals leaking into the soil where I grow my veggies)
Wish I could share pictures here lol
@@Witch-Crafts wood lasts longer if you get a propane tank and weed torch then surface char the wood
We use discarted truck tires to plant in them.
I know, the process in which they are made and chemicals, etc. but we live in an island and used tires overall are becoming an environmental issue, so we use them to plant root vegetables in them and they last decades.
Same ... about the tyres. Pre made raised beds, and free.
@Steven Fennell you can use any size tires, not just trucks, but the bigger the better. Here they are free, chances are they are also free in your island since transporting them out its costly and they rather they are reused.
Yes, potatoes can be grown in them just as you would in any other raised beds. You can plant taro roots as well. And if you make a line of them, you can easily grow sweet potatoes in them as well. I also plant peppers, tomatoes and other crops too, but root vegetables are easy to harvest because all you have to do is remove the tire and pick the stuff no digging required. Is a time saver and you can just reuse them for decades.
Honestly, I don't think the chemical leaching from tyres is as bad as some people might think. At the end of the day, you are re-using something in a purposeful way and if the plants grow well it's unlikely they will take up and hold chemicals (that's my opinion of course) I reuse all sorts of stuff to grow food because why not... Cheers :)
My neighbor was shaking his head yesterday at how much we spent on Birdies. Between the cost of lumber and the amount of use we'll get - I feel like it's a solid investment. This video is such a great review and makes me feel lucky to have them! We are setting them up today and will be able to plant this Spring.
Let the neighbor come back convinced once they see your epic garden 😜
Haha! Kevin! Halfway there already 🤙
Picked up my Birdies bed yesterday from Bunnings. Of course now I've got to source some half decent material to fill it.
Gardeners with dirt are like builders with nails ... no matter how much you think ahead, or how much compost you make, ya never have enough.
I bought a birdies bed based on your channel. I dare say that I’m not alone. I wonder how many people also have. It might be worth doing a YT community poll.
I did. Just bought four of them.
Me too, 4 of them
Planning to :)
After 12 years of use, those Birdies garden beds look impressive and in great shape!
I have 11 raised beds now (7 are Birdies, 4 are from Stratco) and just couldn't imagine gardening any other way. I have 2 large areas that are ground level which I use for growing pumpkins, melons, onions, etc but i find myself planting in the raised beds more and more and couldn't be happier.
one way to reduce the metal reaction to the "soil" in the raised garden bed is to line it with a heavy polythene sheet or (preferably) pond liner. Also, using vertical drainsage cells helps (and moves water reserviour to the bottom of bed) as well as providing an insulation zone (warm and cold climates)
Last year I purchased multiple galvanized metal (22+ gauge) raised beds complete with stainless steel hardware from local Canadian manufacturer. Folded lip on the top helps to avoid cuts. Came with long rods in between long 4'x8' beds to ensure they do not bow out. Various dimensions (WxLxH) are available but unpainted (which is okay). While cedar beds are nice to look at, I don't want to think about the effort and expense to replace them in a few years when they rot out, so these beds were an investment. As these beds will likely last for at least a couple decades, I'll have consider putting them into my will. Thanks to you and Epic Gardening. Both of your online resources have helped me to turn my black thumb into something a bit more greener. Cheers from Canada (Zone 5).
My good lady persuaded us to invest in brick built raised beds a few years ago. They are two paving slabs wide with a slabs width path between them. Expensive at the time, but bar a few needing to be re mortared after hard winters they are as good as ever.
Brick/ block built can last centuries and uncolored are "guaranteed" non-toxic.
Here in the States the black dye has a carcinogen in it...
Wow. I’m impressed they lasted so long. I hadn’t realised they were coated inside. I didn’t want bare metal touching my soil so hadn’t considered them, but will now. It seems to be much harder to find the timber I used last time so these might be the solution. Just need to figure out the best way to add seats which were built into my old timber raised beds. Food for thought that’s for sure! Thanks Mark!
im in love with that basil Raised Garden Bed, it's the perfect height so i don't have to bend over. Thanks for showing your beds off! I definitely want to get a few in the future
This video was great. I just bought a “Birdie” and now I feel so confident that I made a wise decision. Thanks buddy!
Thanks much for the update. For 12 years old, these Birdie’s beds appear to be extremely high quality! I’m impressed!
Thank you for showing this. I received 4 Birdie's beds as an amazing Christmas gift this year. I'm glad I can look forward to them lasting a long time.
Hello Angelina Phoebus, How are you doing today? It’s really nice having you on here. I saw your profile on here and i think we definitely are on the same page on many levels. Trust, communication, loving, honoring, God fearing, understanding, patience and respecting your partner. So crucial to provide balance. This is what creates such great chemistry between two people that are committed to one another.
Wish you a prosperous, blessed new year seasons and also wish you all the best of lucks in all aspects of your Life 🙏❤️🌹
From Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
@@geraldruiz2437 Jesus approves!
Good morning to you my name is Claire. l live in Barbados. l watch your video alot. You are very down to earth, and I love that. Some of the seeds and things you can get over there we in Barbados can't get like the sugar cane mulches and seed potatoes and the dragon fruit and even those raised beds by birdy's. Our country is a very hot place not alot of rain. Some of the things we call them different name. We can't get blood and bone like you. I wish l could grow some lime or orange trees.l look forward to hearing from you.
Lessons learned. Quality equipment lasts longer. Thanx Birdies
No, it should be equipment purchased for intended use. One is coated one isn't, the result is obvious.
I wish that I could afford these. I started using old freezers and refrigerators as raised beds.
O thing wrong with a milk carton with the top cut off
Hi I'm very much fond of ur garden.
That is a great idea... looking for a refrigerator now
Another idea is to find an old watering stock tank. I have used those bigger concrete masonry units that you can buy for less than a dollar a block, and just stack to about 3 high....it does take quite a few blocks depending on the size of garden you want...then line the inside walls with plastic (and leave the bottom open) and put cap blocks on top . It gives you a nice place to sit while you are picking veggies and does a good job staying sturdy without grouting if you don’t go too high
@Ricker’s Homestead A Hobby Farm I use old appliances as well. Perfect! Concrete pavers and blocks last even longer than metal around here...
You have me convinced! I was gonna build my own but now I see that Birdies are far superior in every way. Thank you for taking the time to show these things, and share your knowledge and experience!
Very good to know given that I just bought my first Birdies bed last night.
We recently moved onto 5 acres here in Western Australia, about an hour south of Perth and I'm really keen to get started with it all. 8 fruit trees planted a few days ago. Hopefully they all survive.
Cheers for all the great info
I am so happy Birdie's is selling in the USA! I can't wait for spring. Enjoy your channel. 😁
Love to see you and Kevin together in a video
Clearly birdies are a good buy..love there look too
NO. USE THICK GAUGE PLASTICS
THEY ARE GUARANTEED 150 YEARS.
@@captainamericaamerica8090 calm your tits, captain capslock
@@EctoMorpheus GET BACK IN YOUR LAZY BOY CHAIR= 🐮🐮
I'm impressed with the Australian Birdies raised garden beds after 12 years.
Absolutely amazing shoutout to Kevin!!
I watched everything from YOU and Kevin
Thanks Lynn! Cheers :)
Great vid mate! Tony Wood's earlier comment on the sacrificial nature of galvanizing is correct to a point BUT- what you have is an example of tissue thin, P Poor Chinese galvanizing! I have worked with Gal steel sections and sheet for some 50+ years along with zinc alum and colorbond. I have found the Chinese gal to be inconstant in its coating thickness and overall far thinner than we have been used to in the past. In many cases it is merest coating of zinc to deliberately give the appearance of a galvanized surface when in fact it is so thin it is often virtually porous and like your eBay beds it will rust out in no time! Galvanizing is sacrificial but it's how thick the zinc coating is, that really affects how long it lasts. I suspect the Birdies beds are just heavy gauge Colorbond which is zinc alum steel with a tough paint coating. The paint is what really increases its lifespan. If the eBay gal beds had been given a coat of paint prior to being filled they would probably last 10 times longer! Therein lays the secret! I just watched your vid on making the hardwood beds out of your deck’s leftover hand rails. You mentioned being unsure of how long the timber would last and that you might paint it. There should be no might about it! It’s so easy to apply with a roller before you set them in place and it doesn’t matter how you slap it on- thicker the better! I usually go down to Bunnings and buy any quality exterior acrylic that has been left on the mark down trolley due to incorrect colour mix or dented can. The colour doesn’t matter cos you’re going to bury it anyway! Would have been so much easier to paint the timber lying flat across the top of saw horses than in situ and you get all the surface including the parts overlapped by the posts! My advice, no matter what the material, paint it before you bury it and dramatically increase the lifespan- it’s so easy! H
It could extend the galvanized steel beds life sheeting them with a plastic before filling them with soil. Some plastic like the ones used to cover the soil and garden plants on holes (it stops water evaporation and weeds.
Here in my town I am in middle of farmland Argentina, so I get to have unlimited used plastic storage silos (they look like a white long giant saudsage) that are discarded after use (they are cut by a machine as they empty them).
anywhere i can see what you are talking about? I live in the carribean islang of curacao and am looking to import or sell stuff like this which keeps the iguanas from eating all crops. or other lizards
I love how alot of youtube gardeners have their favourite garden tool. They don't ever necessarily say it, but it just shows up alot. Mark, your hand shovel always shows up!
Charles Dowding, for example, has a dowel he uses for making holes for transplants that showed up in a lot of videos.
I thoroughly enjoy all your videos Mark. You do a wonderful job of helping us beginners...basic, simple and uncomplicated. Please keep them coming :)
Just bought and put together 2 of the Birdies beds. It's great to know that they will be around for a good long time. Thanks for everything you do. Good job.
Glossy enamel grill spray paint is good for touching up anything that might rust. Heat and water resistant, doesn't put out toxins once it dries, good stuff 👍🏼
Am looking at metal raised beds for my own place. This was perfectly timed! Thank you for the feedback!
I love how you 'dig' into it.
I also love my Birdie's bed.
"Rusty thumbs up" I see what you did there Russell i mean Mark.
LOL...
You're always so helpful and friendly, real easy on the ears. I appreciate your channels and gardening wisdom.
Thank you for the feedback and visuals. I am in the process of trying different raised bed construction materials for comparison myself. Based on this, i think i might coat the galvanized bins i have before i fill them.
Very useful information, I was looking at the equivalent ones up here in Canada and we just simply don't have the cash for them. But we can get used galvanized steel for really cheap locally, and paint it with an inert epoxy coating after cleaning up any rust spots. Tom has lots of experience with that sort of thing, having been in boat restoration, aircraft maintenance, and general repairs all his life. If he can't fix it, he doesn't want it.
12 years is a good life. I was getting 7 to 8 years out of raised beds made from untreated 2x6s. 👍👍👍
Yeah mate, same here about 8 years for most wood. We recently upgraded our original sleeper beds at around the 12-year mark but they were totalled and should have been replaced years earlier (I was just too busy... lazy lol) cheers :)
I just purchased one. However, it is from another maker. The only reason that I didn’t buy a Birdie was because the color of the one from the other brand matched the color of my front door. I’m going to make a flower garden in mine.
its funny because I started watching you first then reached out for others and found Kevin , which I have been watching him for awhile before the two of you linked .. its a small youtube world..lol
On the onset, you could have them painted with paints against rust to make them last longer. And re-apply every year.
Hello Victoria Aleta Austria, How are you doing today? It’s really nice having you on here. I saw your profile on here and i think we definitely are on the same page on many levels. Trust, communication, loving, honoring, God fearing, understanding, patience and respecting your partner. So crucial to provide balance. This is what creates such great chemistry between two people that are committed to one another.
Wish you a prosperous, blessed new year seasons and also wish you all the best of lucks in all aspects of your Life 🙏❤️🌹
From Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Something you can do is contact a local plumber and ask him to save any bathtubs and you can pick them up at his place of business. They might have small holed near the drain or overflow but that doesn't really matter for gardening, they are free you just gotta pick them up yourself.
Makes sense you get what you pay for! Thanks for showing us after 12 years Birdies growing strong. 💪 💪 💪
Now that’s a very good decade long review of a product.
This made me so happy! I am currently waiting for my Birdies Bed that I purchased from Kevin here in San Diego, CA. Thank you for proving to me that I made the right choice! Take care.
BAD PURCHASE. THEY WON'T LAST LIKE SEVERE DUTY PLASTIC
ME GREAT GRANNY HAS PLASTIC ONES= THEY ARE 97 YEARS OLD, AND LOOK NEW
Appreciate you!
@@captainamericaamerica8090 97 year old plastic?? How is that possible? Bakelite wasn't invented until 1907 and the plastic industry was still in it's infancy in the late 1950's. Polyethylene was re-invented on the late 1930's, I think.
And anyway, using all upper-case is considered poor internet courtesy.
THANK YOU! All the pictures online are of brand new beds and it's really hard to know what they will age like. This is great.
Mark :) Watching your videos brings me such joy!!! It's easy to see you love the garden, the pets and your family :) I'm inspired now to try and overcome the family curse of plastic plants and get a small container garden going. Keep sharing your enthusiasm. Smiles are contagious.
Golden missed opertunity: "Lets...... dig into it" =P .
*Opportunity.
LOL...
FYI - I bought one from Kevin. The only hitch was that he can't seem to keep things in stock and seems rather busy (didn't reply to queries when was worried if it would come). Once I got mine (and I did) I was very happy and still am.....quality product. It did take a while, but in hindsight I think I was a bit impatient. Product was worth the wait. Oh...also, required like 100 nuts and bolts - they sent 106 of each - Nice! Also, the U-cover (plastic edge cover on the top) you can get at any auto-store here. I am in the SW US......1 year tells me I will be replacing it next year. YMMV in other parts of the US. Totally recommend them and am about to try and buy another....hope he has some stock. (PS: They are pricey, and don't offer inside radius curves.....but they are soooo quality - once you get them running, if you have used other stuff - your will see the difference).
I really enjoyed checking this out. I've been thinking about making some raised beds from some left over roofing tin. I hadn't done it yet since I've dealing with a few health setbacks. Finally getting stronger, so hoping to start a little garden this year.
Almost as soon as I get an email from Epic gardening that they have more Birdie's Beds.. they're sold out darn it!
I am so sorry! I'm literally buying as many as I can as fast as I can, but some big changes are coming soon that will allow stock to increase
@@epicgardening thanks for bringing it to the US.. hope to buy some myself!
@@epicgardening Yay - because I want setting these up to be my winter 2021 project!
I can't stand the full of himself jerk from epic gardening.
@@tessstewart1893 sometimes, what we see in others is a reflection of traits in ourselves that we dislike. I don't see anything that says "full of himself". I hope you give a second, more forgiving look.
I think birdies owes you a commission. I was introduced to them through your videos some years ago. Actually ordered one this year as well. Not sure how epic gardening pulled off the exclusive distribution deal.
We need a distributor on the east coast, shipping from CA is exorbitant!
Thanks. It is time to replace my garden beds after 20 some years and remembered your video. Back to watch it again as i decide what to replace my beds with.
I just ordered some Birdies here in America that arrive this week, looks like I made a great purchase!
I was starting to think this might be an insect documentary in disguise.
LOL...
🤣🤣🤣
Be interesting to see under the soil in the 12 year old beds if you started it off with branches logs ect if they are all broken down
My Husband and I are doing up our backyard in Western Australia and we had decided that we would put some raised garden beds in. We are definitely going to put the Birdies raised beds in. I am glad I came across this Video as now it is confirmed that it is the right choice :) Thank you Mark for putting out all these awesome Video's.
Also lately, prices have gone thru the roof so most any materials today, like this stuff is not only scary expensive but it's low on stock or back ordered. Thank you Brandon!!!
Birdie's is definitely benefiting from your channel.
It would be great if you could develop some kind of more direct relationship with them.
Thanks Jay. After making this video. Birdies did contact me and have offered to make a deal for my supporters (and me). Still working on it but I will let people know the outcome soon. Cheers :)
I whish they would sell those Birdies beds in The Netherlands. I would definitely buy a couple
I had someone dump colour bond fence sheets on my lawn , so I cut them up and made round garden beds with them, I only bought the nuts and bolts and a cutting disc and some soil. If I get five years I will call it a win for me . All up for less than $50 , two raised garden beds , ten bags of potting mix , a packet of bolts and nuts, then some of my own mulched compost and my mulched up bougainvillea (used my Hansa CE3 chipper $1400 ) . Thanks to your vid on Hansa I bought one and to date in just over a year its saved my son and I about $2300 in hire fees (about $260 /4 hours) so its already paid for its self , I have mulched a tree ,tree branches , weeds , spikey bloody devil bush , neighbors palm fronds and a frangipani all into little tiny pieces . The worms love it.
Rust Oleum paint before and now. After a good sandblasting. Great shows and information.
Wish I'd watched this 20 minutes ago. I literally just ordered my raised beds and it wasn't from Birdies
When I see bugs in australian videos I ask myself if gardeners risk their lifes every single day?
Haha! True there are a lot of animals that could make you sick, or even kill ya ... and in some parts of Oz you see them regularly, but in others you might see one a year. Most of these animals, especially in the garden (eg snakes and spiders), prefer to run away or hide. Ants like to bite you though, they are pretty entitled little creatures (in Oz) and seem to think they have right of way 😆 Ya just gotta be aware and act sensibly. I certainly wouldn't go barefoot on the grass too often, in any part of Oz 😉
@@thekrrib lol! How right you are about ants!!
the huntsman spider in this clip is pretty much harmless to humans. they are a very beneficial predator and tend to run away from humans
Me thinks one of the "bugs" looks like a praying mantis which is one of the good ones. Them, walking sticks, lady bugs/ birds, daddy long legs- all non toxic and stinger/ pincher less. Before you "run" from a "pest" take a picture/ capture it and find out what it really is. Could be a beneficial.
It really isn't that dangerous here I swear
those plastic edge coverings, you take a black pvc water pipe, flexible once, cut a "slit" (cut one side with a knife) in it and slide it over the edge, it "clamps" over the edge, and it gives a nice round edge to it, can use the harder pvc pipe, but its not easy to open them to slide over, hope you get the picture of what i mean lol
I wish I had seen this video last year. I would've built my raised bed from scratch. But, I'll be looking to Birdies for my next bed.
Those beds seem reasonably priced for the quality of them.
When he was showing how well the Birdies Beds were holding up I thought "must not be made in China". Had a good laugh a minute or so later when he showed the ones rusting out were made in China. 😄
doesn't matter where it was made,
you buy cheap, you get cheap shit
and birdies beds, is expensive ... and of cause made with expensive material
Just ordered a few Birdies from Epic Gardening! Thank you for letting me know I could get them in the states.
@Self Sufficient Me Thanks for the update as it is very much appreciated!
This was interesting, we originally looked at Birdies but couldn't justify the extra cost, so went for the other beds from the big boxed store we all love in Australia. The same ones you didn't like except ours are single highs and think they are better that way. But same metal as the Birdies. No rust, no defects.
Would always use an Aussie steel product.
Hi, I'm from down under and we are seriously considering these Birdies for our new veggie garden but would love to check out something a bit more cost-effective. Er, question, what exactly is "the big boxed store?" Are you talking about Bunnings? Haha, being mysterious, just makes me curious...cheers!
@@AussieBrit that would be Bunnings, and yes the Organic garden beds, Birdies is still better, but they are made from the same metal. The issue is the plastic corners. Mark did do a video on why he didn't like the beds which I agree with, but he used double high. The single high that we have has been amazing. They are an option.
@@matthewfarrell317 Thanks. Cheers!
These Birdies beds are really great, but shipping to the UK on top of their deservedly premium price keeps them out of my budget sadly! Plastic pots and planters it is for now :P
I recently started getting old refrigerators and freezers to use as raised beds. I can’t afford high quality raised beds so I hope the fridge and freezers work.
@@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291 I like that idea! I'll keep that in mind for when I have a more customisable space.
I've seen old bathtubs used as well. VR
Some people use livestock watering tanks
@@redrockplumber5124 I am going to get some old bathtubs from my brother in law. I just have to build a stand for them. I have one tub already but I haven’t had a chance to do anything with it yet.
The more of your videos I watch the more excited I get to her you say "Lets...Get into it" thank you sir for all you do teaching and experimenting with different things and freely sharing your knowledge with the entire gardening community all over the world. From South Carolina, USA THANK YOU!
Birdies has made a good materials choice. Having no iron means it can’t traditionally rust. Aluminium does react, but its oxide is hard and nonporous, protecting the metal once the enamel wears away; think of the green copper oxide that protects copper roofs for centuries. Paring it with zinc as an alloy probably helps protect it as well.
Did i watch too many Self Sufficient Me videos if Mark is now also gardening in my dreams at night? 😂😂😂
Self-sufficient dreams! LOL... All the best :)
Do some soil samples on the chinese steel version, see if there's more siderophilic bacteria in the soil?
There is no difference from Chinese steel and other steels, both are steel. The difference is the coating or the thickness. Both countries follow the same standards for the type of alloys are combination fe and other elements.
It looks like metal beds it lasts longer than wood beds. In 2009, in the USA the economy changed. I had my 3rd child on the way, and the cost of fuel and groceries doubled, if not tripled. I had mouths to feed and had no pay raise in sight. I did thankfully have a job, and my family. I found cheap wood pre made forms from some construction company. I coated the stackable frames in linseed oil, let them dry picked a sunny spot and have been growing in them since the summers of 2009. I come from a long line of farm and garden workers. I knew I could grow something. My husband helped me expand our two small raised beds in 2016 to 5 raised beds and what we call the open plot(sowing directly in the amended ground) and we will be growing again this year. However, those wood frames coated in linseed oil started to fall apart in the last few years. So much that after this year, our winter project will be take out the raised beds. We will work everything into the ground by next spring.
Glad to know I can purchase Birdies in the states, Thank You.
Im thinking on build raised beds with bricks and cement, those should last forever
In my parents garden we have those. Can only recommend it. May can become a problem if they are very high and you want to change the soil
My raised beds are with blocks, so it's more easily if I want to change the shape/ location.
Is there a coating that can be sprayed on the inside of those galvanized beds that is also non-reactive/non-toxic?
I was thinking about the "as seen on tv" coating stuff (spray or paint able) but between cost and not knowing what might leech into the soil...
Spray duck/fish pond sealant for concrete pools.
Thanks for doing this video, Mark. Great comparison. I marvel at how well the Birdies Beds hold up after seeing how Kevin's have done over the years👍
Hello Lisa Espiritu, How are you doing today? It’s really nice having you on here. I saw your profile on here and i think we definitely are on the same page on many levels. Trust, communication, loving, honoring, God fearing, understanding, patience and respecting your partner. So crucial to provide balance. This is what creates such great chemistry between two people that are committed to one another.
Wish you a prosperous, blessed new year seasons and also wish you all the best of lucks in all aspects of your Life 🙏❤️🌹
From Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Hello Mark! I absolutely luv your videos and learn a hole lot!!! Your so awesome! I olny wish you would have posted/did this video about a month ago! As sadly I just bought $2500 worth of the cheap Chinese beds off of ebay a month ago 😥.. I was really thinking hard which to go with I didn't think the bare galvanized would rust that fast.. Because the old galvanized aroumd here lasts 30 plus years easy.. I guess its true for everything these day you get what you pay for. Anyways thanks Mark keep doing what your doing! I really have learned a ton sence I started watching your videos I try to watch and like everyone.
G'day Josh, I wouldn't worry too much mate. Yes, it would have been better to get Birdies but you should still get many good years of growing and when it's time to change them all you need to do is dig down around the inside of the bed and place the soil in the middle then lift the Chinese bed off and replace it with a Birdies. This technique works pretty well. All the best mate and get into it 👍🙂
@@Selfsufficientme G'day to you Mark! Your the Man I'll definitely go with birdies from now on. Your my all time favorite UA-cam person.. Thanks for replying back I'm ready to get into it! But it's hard here in Missouri USA the soil is worthless and the weather is unpredictable but I'll do my best. Stay safe and awesome here's another rusty thumbs up 👍🏻
The garden beds are the same age as me lol 😂
Hope you are not starting to rust;>})
What I'd like to know is how much zinc oxide, especially from the heavily rusting beds, is being soaked up by/ into the crops being grown in the galvanized beds.
The edge lining is important where the panels meet. The edge is rolled over so it's not sharp but the corners are pretty sharp!
Don’t wanna dog on or talk shat about another country but these metal raised beds have spoken. Very clearly. Saves me from saying something really really crappy. Things need to change where things are made in other words.🤷🏽♂️
First here.❤❤
So the cheap China ones are more "well draining". 😁
LOL...
More like pick the wrong product for the wrong job. Nothing to do with being cheap.
@@fleyua7176 Are you on drugs? He bought it and used it for exactly what it was made for.
I recently bought 3 Birdie beds, they are now assembled and in position and being loaded up with various garden junk - old sleepers, weeds, prunings, cardboard boxes, even 2 pairs of old cotton jeans - it's really tidied up the yard! Then begins the hard work of carting soil in to fill them to the top. Then finally the fun part - planting!
Congrats! All that hard yakka will reward you with easy stand up gardening in your new raised beds. All the best 👍🙂
It's so relaxing watching your videos. Always excited for a new video!
The Birdies are impressive. I'm a retired contractor with many years of experience trying to keep moisture our and rust minimized. I would recommend lining each planter with some heavy black or clear visqueen plastic to keep the water and acid effects off direct contact with the metal. Perhaps even a undercoating type spray on application but make sure it's sure it's safe for plants.
Wow sold out EVERYWHERE! I need to pre-order it from Suttons (in the UK) to make sure I do get a pair of them for my new garden renovation project!
On large metallic underwater structures such as actively controlled dams they sometimes use replaceable zinc nodes mounted onto the side of the metal. These zinc nodes will essentially give electrons to the iron when it goes to corrode, causing the zinc node to degrade rather than causing the iron to rust. A coating isn't needed, just a nearby repository of zinc to pull from. I assume we coat metal in zinc because its just easier to work with coated metal than have to install anti-rusting nodes. And with modern underwater structures they probably use plastic coatings or something. But the method is still used to maintain older ones. I wonder if you could increase the longevity of your garden bed by having a mounting point for a zinc bar. When the zinc bar degrades, you know you're protecting the metal, and once the zinc is out you can put a new one in and keep going
G'day Marc! I absolutely love these raised beds, but I guess galvanized beds are way too expensive for most of us. Of cause it depends on many things mainly a monthly wage and cost of fruits/vegetables, I think. I live in Sicily and honestly would not spend 150 euros for one 3 m bed... We have loads of local fruits and vegetables all year round, and it's just doesn't worth spending so much when a 4 kg bag of fresh carrots costs me 1 euro at a local market, for example.
Instead we are building our first beds with pallets that we get for free from a local potato storage, paying just 20 euros for transport for a whole truck of pallets.
And then little by little we build our beds. They last about 5 years, according to my previous experience, and it fine. 'cause one bed 1 mt wide, 3 mt long and 80 cm high (20 under ground with rocks around) costs us less than 5 euros and two days of working including preparing the surface, manual digging, building itself and filling it with soil and rocks outside. It's hard, bit it's fun and it's free 😁
Hello Maria Roost, How are you doing today? It’s really nice having you on here. I saw your profile on here and i think we definitely are on the same page on many levels. Trust, communication, loving, honoring, God fearing, understanding, patience and respecting your partner. So crucial to provide balance. This is what creates such great chemistry between two people that are committed to one another.
Wish you a prosperous, blessed new year seasons and also wish you all the best of lucks in all aspects of your Life 🙏❤️🌹
From Fort Bragg, North Carolina.